Beware the Phoenix
by The Sociopathism of Trees
Summary: the last words that left Sakura's parents lips was "beware the Phoenix..." no one knew what it meant. they all felt bad for little Sakura all alone. but they don't understand she is never alone...
1. Chapter 1

Beware the Phoenix:

**Beware the Phoenix:**

**Sakura's parents died with three words on their lips, "Beware the Phoenix". No one truly knew what it meant, they all felt bad for little Sakura because she was alone, but they didn't under stand. She was never alone.**

Prologue:

Eichi and Mitsuki Haruno were covered in blood, their own and other's. They stumbled through the gates of Konoha and were caught by the guards before they could collapse to the ground.

"Get medics!"

Mitsuki opened her darkening eyes to see the Third Hokage standing in front of her. She mumbled a few words and he came closer.

"What was that dear Mitsuki?"

"Beware the Phoenix…"

With that the Haruno couple died, just inside the walls of the home they loved so much. Without even getting to have one last look at their three year old daughter. Not that they would want to…not that the Hokage knew that.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

People ask: how do you become a better person? My question is this: why must you become a better person? One thing I have learned in my life is shit happens. Life is cruel to those who don't usually deserve it. What about fate and destiny you may ask, well I personally don't believe in any of that shit either. Things happen because something else affects it into doing it. There is never any reason to things that happen. Another thing I've learned is to never trust those you love or those who say they love you. They will always turn away when they find out your heart. It is a sick game I have found happens, people get close to you and just when you think they are there for you they turn away and laugh at your naïve thinking. You may be thinking, how and why would I think this? Well it is only too simple to explain, my parents were so kind and happy to me, then after my third birthday they started to beat me and say hurtful things that I didn't understand at the time but I do now. At first I thought it was just a fluke, maybe others would be kind to me. And then I met this girl, her name was Ino and she was very kind to me, until she thought I liked this prick named Sasuke. After that she was always a bitch to me. So my thinking is solid and has been tested, I now have resolved never to let anyone close to me ever again, which I must say is working wonderfully.

I get all the alone time I could ever want, except for those stupid ninja following me everywhere and spying on me 24/7. They do put a bit of a damper on my quiet time. It is quite laughable that they think I can't sense them around me. But they don't know what I can do; no one knows what I can really do…

A thirteen year old Sakura lay on her pale green sheets staring up at the ceiling **(A/N her room looks exactly the same as her room in the summer palace in Seasons Pass so when I get that up you'll know what her whole house looks like because the Haruno estates are a miniature version of the palace)** her mind was completely blank and she made no noise. The only way you would know she was alive was if you saw the very slight rising and falling of her chest. A bird call rang out through her gardens and the house. It snapped her out of her trance-like state.

She shifted and lay on her side; she started counting everyone in the village. She had refined her chakra control so much that she could even feel the very minute chakra signature of the civilians. She counted the ANBU first then the jounin, including the four that were watching her. She could tell who they were because these four would almost always watch her, they were Kakashi, Kureni, Asuma, and Anko.

'_Why do they always follow me around? The ninja of this village have me watched like a hawk!_'

**"They must want something from you. Do you have anything they want?"**

_'Not that I know of.'_

**"Hmm, we will have to do something about it."**

_'But I act completely normal! Well not normal I guess.'_

**"Tomorrow you graduate form the academy, I think that would be a good time to act like your normal self."**

_'But, what if…'_

**"Sakura I thought you had broken out of your weak child faze?"**

_'Yes sorry, I am just worried I guess.'_

**"Then fall asleep so that we can train extra hard so that you won't have time to worry."**

_'Thanks, you always know how to make me feel better don't you?'_

**"I am your family, I never want to see you unhappy if I can help it."**

_'Thank you Phoenix.'_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

the next morning Sakura walked to the academy with her hands I her pockets.

_'Why do I have to even bother going here? I can beat a jounin without breaking a sweat, I shouldn't have to deal with this!'_

**"That remains to be seen Sakura. Remember what I taught you? Never underestimate the enemy and never get cocky."**

Sakura sighed and continued walking toward the large red building, with her 'secret ninja escort'.

_'Stupid bastards, I wish I could attack them so they would leave me the hell alone!'_

**"They would only watch you closer and you know it."**

She didn't answer. She was almost to the door of the building there was a big crowd of kids standing waiting to get in. none of them noticed the pink haired green eyed girl who wore black baggy cargo shorts that reached just below her knees, with black ninja sandals and silver bandages wrapped up to about and inch below the shorts, her top was also silver with a blood red circle on the back, it was a normal short sleeved shirt with two rings around the sleeves the top one black the bottom one dark red. She wore fingerless gloves that reached all the way up to her elbows that had were black with red rings going down them, hidden around her neck she had a golden phoenix pendant that held onto a blood red ruby in one claw and a depthless black stone in the other. She would have brought her double swords but this was only the academy. To top off the whole look she wore a black beanie with a grinning silver skull on it. The doors to the academy opened and she walked to them, everyone moved out of her way, no one ever wanted to be too close to her. They had heard strange stories about her (none of which were true) and the fact that she refused to talk to anyone and could glare so hard the devil would probably cower in fear, didn't help her case at all.

She sat down in a seat next to the window and stared out at sky. She knew it would be bad for her later, but she just wasen't going to pretend to be normal anymore, she spotted the jounin who was stalking her today and emotionlessly stared at him as the classroom started to fill up. Sasuke Uchiha sat down next to her as he usually did, she was the only one that didn't go crazy when he was around and he could sit in silence and she wouldn't try to bug him with conversation. Sakura didn't pay attention as the class exploded with sound when and unexpected mouth-to-mouth altercation upset everyone. She sat blankly staring at her escort, trapping him with her eyes, Phoenix had taught her a jutsu that could trap people by looking them straight in the eyes, they wouldn't be able to move until she wished them to; and when she fully mastered it she would able to give the trapped person orders that they would be forced to carry out.

_'When will you teach me that trick?'_

**"Don't be so impatient, silly. I'll teach it to you tonight if you really want."**

_'I can't wait to experiment with it.'_

**"You really are hopeless you know that?"**

_'Damn straight.'_

Her attention was drawn back to the class when Iruka started to name off the teams.

"Team seven will be Uzamaki Naruto…"

The blonde sat up straight to see who would be on his team.

"…Uchiha Sasuke…"

There were cries of "Teme!", "Dobe!", and "Don't touch my Sasuke-kun!"

"…and Haruno Sakura."

Everyone one went silent at the last name, they all turned to stare at the girl who was back to looking out the window at the helpless nin. Iruka continued to call names and eventually all the jounins except team 7's and only the three were left. Naruto decided to play a trick on their sensei for being so late.

"That will never work Dobe, our sensei is an elite jounin, he would never fall for it."

but of course he spoke too soon. Kakashi poked his head inside and the eraser plopped on to his head and released a small amount of chalk dust on his spiky silver hair.

"My first impression is…I hate you all. Now meet my on the roof for introductions."

He poofed away and left a bewildered Naruto and an irritated Sasuke, Sakura just shrugged and walked out the door.

Once they were all seated Kakashi started introductions.

"Okay everyone introduce themselves."

"Why don't you go first Sensei?" asked an excited Naruto.

"Alright I'm Hatake Kakashi, I have lots of likes and dislikes, I had a dream about a giant cake once…"

"You next Blondie."

'All we really learned was his name!' thought the boys.

"I'm Uzamaki Naruto, I like ramen! I dislike the three minutes it takes to cook the ramen, and my dream is to be the greatest Hokage ever! So then everyone will start respecting me!"

'Interesting, but kind of expected.' Thought Kakashi, he pointed to Sasuke.

"You next."

"Uchiha Sasuke, I have many dislikes, my dream is more of an ambition because I will achieve it, and it is to kill a certain someone."

'Again expected.' Kakashi sighed and turned to the only girl on the team, the one he really wanted to hear.

"Your next girl."

Everyone looked at her; they wanted to know what she had to say. She was such a mystery to the younger males that they just wanted to hear her voice. She just stared at Kakashi blankly. It kind of freaked him out and gave him a bad feeling that something was coming.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. You already know all about me Sensei, so why even ask?"

everyone was stunned at her words, two because they didn't understand and the other because he understood all to well what she was talking about. And awkward pause plagued them for a bit. Kakashi finally broke it when he was totally in control of himself again.

"Well then, everyone meet at training ground seven tomorrow at 8:30. And don't eat breakfast, or you'll puke."

He poofed away, and Naruto spoke.

"Sakura what did you mean by…"

Naruto looked around confused; Sakura had vanished, leaving only a small golden feather in her wake. Naruto picked up the downy feather grinned and put it in his pocket. He skipped away thinking of how now he had a piece of his crush, and he had even heard her sweet musical voice. Sasuke was annoyed to say the least, he had wanted to ask her what she meant as well but she had vanished and he hadn't even felt her chakra pulse for the jounin level jutsu, for that was what he knew it was.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kakashi entered the Hokage's office and stood before his desk.

"You saw then?"

"Yes, how is it that she knew? How could a child know she was being followed by elite jounin! Is it even possible that her skills are that good?"

"She could have trained on her own."

"But she didn't. None of the trailing nin observed her training outside of the academy. In truth I didn't even expect her to pass, in the little bit of time of practice she got I would have thought her unable to even throw a shuriken straight. But her we find she could very well be at jounin level! I think I am beginning to see why her parents said beware the phoenix."

"I still don't believe that she will do anything bad."

"This just proves how little we know about her, we have to get close to her find out what her parents meant with the phoenix. The only reason we know she has something to do with the phoenix is because of that necklace of hers, but that could very possibly be nothing more then a necklace. Continue as planned but keep a watchful eye on her, I'm going to have ANBU follow her instead of the usually ninja."

Kakashi bowed and poofed out of the room.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The three genin had been waiting for about two hours for their sensei. Naruto had kept asking Sakura questions, none of which would she answer. He seemed to think that because she had talked yesterday that she would continue to talk. She just leaned against a tree trunk and ignored him. Sasuke, irritated by Naruto's constant questioning, finally yelled out.

"She isn't going to talk to you Dobe!"

"What did you say Teme?"

"Are you deaf and stupid?"

"I'll kick your ass Teme!"

"I'd like to see you try."

"Yo!"

the boys stopped their argument and turned to Kakashi. Naruto screamed,

"Your LATE!"

"Well you see I was helping this little old lady."

"Liar!"

"Oh well. Now I will explain what we are doing. This is a survival test to see if you will become genin, only half of the class you were in will pass. The object is to get one of these two bells from me by noon, the two who get the bells will get lunch and pass. The one who does not will be sent back to the academy."

Naruto grabbed a kunai from his pouch and charged his sensei. But Kakashi was too fast for him, in a matter of seconds he had Naruto's own kunai to his neck.

"Now you may begin."

Sakura grabbed Sasuke and Naruto and ran to a secluded part of the grounds. She deposited them down on the ground and made some hand signs. A reddish ting lit up a five foot circle around them.

"Alright you two…"

she was cut off by Sasuke.

"What do you think you are doing? We are wasting time."

"I was just about to explain before you interrupted me. We have to go at Kakashi together."

"Why because your too weak to do it by yourself?" Sasuke sneered.

"Think. Not even a Uchiha genin can go up against Kakashi a jounin. We have to combine our strengths; no genin can go up against him alone. I have a plan."

"No I won't work with you, you will just hold me back."

Sasuke jumped away and into the trees.

"Arrogant bastard… are you in Naruto?"

"Sure Sakura-chan!"

"Alright here's the plan."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

so what did you think? Read and review!


	2. Chapter 2

Recap

_Recap_

_"No I won't work with you, you will just hold me back."_

_Sasuke jumped away and into the trees. _

_"Arrogant bastard… are you in Naruto?"_

_"Sure Sakura-chan!"_

_"Alright here's the plan."_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sasuke lay under a bush waiting for Kakashi to approach. He did and Sasuke sprung out of the bushes. **(A/N I really didn't want to go through their fight it doesn't matter anyway) **Now only his head could be seen above ground. He squirmed and tried to get out but was unable to. Kakashi stood in front of him reading his stupid ass book. Naruto strolled out of the trees and toward Kakashi who raised his eyebrows. Naruto saw the head that was the Uchiha and pointed at him.

"Ha-ha you idiot! You're a head now!"

Kakashi sweat-dropped and continued to read his book. While Naruto came ever closer.

"Sensei should you really be reading that shit in the middle of a fight?"

"I can take you down while reading thank you very much."

Naruto just laughed and came closer, in a flash he launched out his leg toward his new teacher, who caught it and the punches and kicks that followed. What he wasn't aware of so unable to stop was a small golden feather racing toward him with a deadly sharp point. It hit him in the back and made his limbs start to go numb. When he realized what was going on he ripped out the feather and jumped back into the trees. Naruto grinned and looked back at Sasuke; he made a few shadow clones and started to pull him out of the ground.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kakashi stood in another clearing breathing hard as the poison took its toll. He fell to his knees. A breeze rustled the leaves in the trees. Sakura appeared before him, her face completely blank. He looked up at her with an almost sad face.

"You underestimated me. You should know never to underestimate your opponent."

Kakashi was startled at the lack of any emotion in her voice, and at the fact that she was lecturing him.

"What effects does this poison have? How did you make it without us knowing?"

"It all depends on you, if you make me angry it will kill you, if not it will only paralyze you temporarily and/or knock you unconscious. As for how I made it, a ninja never revels information to the enemy. And in this exercise and until I view you otherwise you are very much the enemy."

"Why am I your enemy?"

"Because you knew my parents. And my parents were able to deceive you. You do not understand me or the things I went through when they were still here. And the nightmares they haunted me with. There is only one person who is not the enemy and she has become my true family."

"…The phoenix?"

"Yes, that is why you are following me? Because you want Phoenix?"

Kakashi was now very confused; she referred to the phoenix as a person instead of an animal or object. And as far as he knew her parents were good people.

"What is the Phoenix exactly? What happened with your parents?"

He wanted to know, it was a mystery he felt was key to understanding why her parents had said beware. But his vision was becoming black and blurry and everything sounded so far away.

"Just so you know, Naruto and I worked together to get you distracted. And tell your ANBU friends they aren't any better at following me."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kakashi woke up tied to a one of the very poles he had planned to tie his students to. Next to him Sasuke was also tied. A few feet away Sakura and Naruto ate the boxed lunches. Sakura noticed he was awake.

"Raise and shine retard sensei."

Kakashi twitched. Even Naruto looked shocked.

"Sakura-chan? Why would you call him that?"

"Because he couldn't even take a single hit from me."

Naruto's eyes became big and Sasuke looked from her to Kakashi and back to her.

"Sakura I think it is time you untied me."

"What? The almighty Copy-nin can't even free himself from ropes? You can't seriously be our sensei."

She stood up and stretched her arms over her head.

"Well Kakashi? Did we pass? Wasn't this whole exercise about teamwork? Well Naruto and I worked together but Sasuke refused, however we did free him and feed him while you were out cold."

"Yes you pass, but Sakura I would like to speak with you in private."

"No can do Kakashi, I need to go home and sleep and you are still tied to a pole."

With no other words she put her hands together and disappeared in a burst of golden feathers, but this time the feathers disappeared as well. Naruto looked back toward the two.

"She kicked your ass sensei! And Sasuke-teme you should have listened to her!"

Kakashi would have sweat dropped at Naruto's antics if he hadn't been so mad. He was brought out of his thoughts on how to kill her when and ANBU poofed into the training area.

"Kakashi-san? The Hokage wishes to see you."

Kakashi nodded and the ANUB untied him. He stood up and stretched looking down at his two male students.

"Alright you two can go home, meet me at the bridge tomorrow at 8. If you see Sakura tell her to meet us there."

With that he left.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hokage-sama?"

"Hello Kakashi. How was your first day with your new team?"

"Fine."

Sarutobi turned and grinned at the jounin.

"Oh come now Kakashi don't be so sullen."


	3. Chapter 3

_Recap_

_"Hokage-sama?"_

_"Hello Kakashi. How was your first day with your new team?"_

_"Fine."_

_Sarutobi turned and grinned at the jounin._

_"Oh come now Kakashi don't be so sullen." _

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Ha. His face was just perfect! I wish I would have gotten a picture."

**"Cherry, we need to get back on track. If you are to perfect this jutsu you need to focus."**

Sakura hung her head, but peeked upward with a grin. Grinning back down at her was a lady of extraordinary beauty. Her waist length golden hair adorned with golden red feathers flowed around her slim willowy figure. Her ruby eyes glinted with many different emotions, but at the forefront was happiness. Around her neck an onyx stone hung on a golden chain, it was a perfect sphere and if you looked deep enough into it you could something shifting and warping. Snow pale skin dressed in a black corset with a flowing black velvet skirt drew the color out of her eyes, to complete the look smoky sheer black fabric twisted and weaved around her, eventually tying in a bow around her waist. She floated in the air and looked as if she were suspended in water.

"How do I do the last sign?"

**"Watch this. Now when done right you will obtain the mask."**

Sakura molded chakra in her hands and finished with the last seal. In a swirl of light a mask appeared, it was gold and covered only the upper part of her face. The overall shape was very graceful and elegant, on the sides two golden ribbons that shifted colors in the light wrapped around her like a shield (**AN think of two ribbons loosely spiraling around her about 6in away from her actual body.**).The lady held up her delicate hand and a soft red gold feather appeared in between her fingers. She threw it and one of the ribbons moved to block it. Sakura watched as it fell down to the ground with a deadly clank.

"Phoenix! It worked!"

Sakura let the mask dissolve and ran to hug Phoenix who embraced her with open arms as her Cherry jumped up to reach her. Phoenix smiled down at Sakura but her head shot up and she glared hatefully around at the world of darkness around them. Sakura felt something was off; she glanced up at the red eyed woman. Phoenix smiled so Sakura wouldn't catch the look she had sent the world.

Sakura stepped out of the embrace and smiled a pure smile, the one reserved only for Phoenix. She yawned, and Phoenix laughed.

**"Time for bed Little One."**

Sakura sobered up, and looked sad.

"I hate that world. There's nothing there for me."

But she formed a seal and vanished anyway. A dark look fell upon the great lady's face.

**"No there is nothing there for you. That is why I send you there, so you will come ever closer to me. Separate yourself from them, and come to me, Sakura."**

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kakashi left the Hokage's office in a worse mood then before. It hadn't helped when Sarutobi had shown him the fight and laughed at him. He placed a hand over his hayate that hid his sharingan eye. _'What are you hiding Sakura Haruno? What can I do to get you to trust me?'_ He sighed and continued walking out into the village. Suddenly he was enveloped in light; an unearthly beautiful lady hovered before him, feathers in her golden hair. She held a golden sword to his neck. When she spoke her voice was like that of an angel, but it was deadly and cold.

**"I will give you a warning. Any more than that and I will kill you."**

She lifted the sword to his nose and in a swift movement sliced his cheek. And with that she was gone and he stood in the busy streets of the village once more. He lifted a hand to his cheek and when he brought his it away his fingers were sticky with drops of blood. _'What the…?'_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

It had been a few weeks since the incident and Kakashi simply observed. Sakura didn't show any other ninja skills. She would hardly even participate in the missions, leaving Sasuke and Naruto to do all the work. And honestly Kakashi didn't think they even noticed, they were always competing. And when they weren't Sakura would very subtly make some remark to one of them, then the other would attempt to do better and it would start them trying to best each other again. She was crafty, he would give her that, she would most likely be a manipulator of some skill. He now watched her emotionless face out of the corner of his eye. She looked completely zoned out and vulnerable, but right as he thought it her eyes flashed up and caught his own. _'Maybe not.'_ His attention was drawn to Naruto who was yelling at their new client, a bridge builder named Tazuna. It was a D ranked mission so he didn't expect any trouble other than his own team. Something tugged at his subconscious. He glanced over to his left and was caught by the gaze of his female student; her eyes flickered down to a puddle on the ground and back up to him. He gave a very slight nod, motioning for her not to do anything.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

_'What should I do about it?'_

**"Nothing."**

_'But…'_

**"Hush, he's your teacher he will deal with it."**

_'I thought you didn't trust them.'_

**"I don't. But I do believe that he will deal with it."**

Sakura mentally shrugged and walked past it. As soon as she was clear, two black clad ninjas broke out of the puddle and attacked Kakashi, ripping him to pieces with their chains. Sakura spotted the movement of his hands. _'Great! He leaves us to deal with the ninjas.'_ She thought sarcastically. They came at her after freezing Naruto in his own fear. She looked them straight in the eyes and they stopped moving.

"Sit down and do not move."

They obeyed like trained dogs, or better yet like puppets, catering to her every wish. Kakashi appeared and everyone was silent, not even animals could be heard. They turned their gaze from the enemy nin to Sakura who still stood emotionlessly in front of Tazuna.

"Sakura-chan?"

"Naruto-san, bandage your hand before you bleed to death."

Naruto looked down at his bleeding hand and pulled out a kunai deepening the cut he made an oath to fight. Kakashi shook his head and bandaged him up before he bled out. He then stood up and turned again to Sakura.

"Sakura."

"What Sensei?" all innocence, albeit still emotionless.

"Explain how you made them stop."

She shrugged and knelt down next to the silent ninja.

"Jutsu. Now then if we can get this over with? You!"

The Demon Brothers looked up at her with empty eyes, fully controlled until she wished otherwise.

"You are here for Tazuna?"

They nodded. Sakura looked up at the silver haired jounin. He blinked but what they had just admitted had confirmed his thoughts.

"Seeing as Kakashi-sensei has it all pieced together we don't need you any further. Die."

The two ninja suddenly convulsed and shivered. Sakura stood up and the two fell dead behind her. All of the males around her were in shock. She began to walk past them but they stood rooted to the spot. She stopped and looked at them coldly over her shoulder.

"Well? Must I use the jutsu on you as well?"

That spurred them into action as they shivered.

_'Well this mission will defiantly be interesting Phoenix.'_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Next up is Zabuza and Haku! R&R!!! _


	4. Chapter 4

_Recap_

"_Seeing as Kakashi-sensei has it all pieced together we don't need you any further. Die."_

_The two ninja suddenly convulsed and shivered. Sakura stood up and the two fell dead behind her. All of the males around her were in shock. She began to walk past them but they stood rooted to the spot. She stopped and looked at them coldly over her shoulder._

_"Well? Must I use the jutsu on you as well?"_

_That spurred them into action as they shivered._

_'Well this mission will defiantly be interesting Phoenix.'_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kakashi walked next to his female student. Her display of frightening power had him very worried. What if she had tried that in the village? Would the Anbu kill her? Would the Hokage have her killed? It shocked him to realize that he really did care about what happened to her. He could tell something had happened to her in the past that had hurt her so much that she had no second thoughts about killing two people without any excuse other than they were no longer needed.

"Sakura?"

She glanced up at him before turning her eyes back to the path.

"Yes Sensei?"

"That jutsu, what is it called?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment, remaining in silence for so long that he was afraid she wouldn't answer.

"I'm not sure."

"Really? How did you pick it out to learn it?"

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion and he was worried again that she would stop answering him.

"My turn. Why do you want Phoenix?"

His eye widened. _Phoenix again, she refers to it as a person. Could it be a person rather than the weapon we feared?_

"Sakura, who is Phoenix?"

She spun so that she could face him, walking backwards. Her eyes gave away nothing but curiosity. He watched her face for any indication of spite or anger at his question.

"She is my guardian. She does not like your questions Sensei. And I don't think you should anger her. Especially this week."

He frowned for a moment, trying to recall if there was something special with this week. When he did realize her wasn't sure how to act. He went for a soft question.

"Your parents?"

She shook her head slowly, almost seeming to get angry before the emotion was squashed by her steely self control.

"I have not considered them my parents since my third birthday. But yes, I guess you can say that is the reason. Phoenix hated those people for what they put me through so she always is moody around this time."

"So Phoenix is a woman?"

Sakura nodded, still walking backwards.

"Does she live with you?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"My turn again. Why do you keep asking about Phoenix? What do you want with her?"

Kakashi paused. Why did they want Phoenix? Was it purely because they we worried that it could be their enemy? Or did the elders want it as a weapon? He shook his head to rid himself of those traitorous thoughts. He would have to figure that out later.

"Sensei?"

"I don't know."

It pained him to say it, she could tell. In a rare moment of mercy she decided not to press the subject.

"So why did Naruto's hand heal on its own?"

She watched in amusement as his body stiffened.

_'So he does know.'_

**'Of course he knows. It's hard to miss.'**

_'I missed it.'_

**'You are just a child, it is fitting for you to miss things.'**

_'That's why I have you.'_

**'Yes.'**

"Naruto stop throwing your kunai into the bushes! They are not toys."

Sakura smirked up at her Sensei as he looked back at her in practiced confusion.

"Nice try Sensei. But I just wanted to see if you knew it was there."

"If I knew what was there? Sakura? Sakura!"

She had turned and walked away, her moment of openness over. He sighed and caught up to his blonde student. Naruto was now holding a white rabbit. _'White rabbit in summer?'_

"Everyone get down!"

He lurched forward and pushed his male students to the ground while Sakura made sure Tazuna was safely out of harm's way. They stood back up to see a man standing on the sword that had threatened them.

"Zabuza Mamochi, Demon of Amegakure."

"Kakashi of the Sharingan eye. No wonder the Demon brothers were unable to succeed in their mission."

"The sharingan?" Sasuke whispered.

Sakura turned toward him.

"That's specific to the Uchiha bloodline isn't it? Is Sensei related to you?"

Sasuke shook his head still shocked. Sakura turned back toward the new arrival and glared at him. He was too far away for her puppet jutsu to work properly so she would have to bide her time until he came closer for her more powerful short range attacks.

**'When you sleep we will work on your long range.'**

She outwardly nodded. Sighing quietly she watched her sensei fall into a trap. Zabuza's clone made his way slowly and arrogantly toward them.

"Listen to me. You need to run. Take Tazuna and run!" Kakashi yelled from his prison.

Sakura stepped forward.

"No Kakashi-sensei. You underestimate us."

"Sakura-chan is right Sensei! We can do it!"

Sasuke just smirked as he charged the clone. The smirk was wiped off by a look of pain when he was effortlessly stopped and thrown to the ground. Naruto took off toward him with five shadow clones. Zabuza swiped his sword through them all and knocked the blonde down right next to Sasuke.

"Heh, you don't know who you're messing with you brats."

He hefted his sword above his head.

"You should have known better Kakashi, then to take on weak students."

He brought down his sword with all his strength. CLANG! The clearing echoed into silence. Sakura kneeled next to a frightened Naruto with a golden katana held above her head to block Zabuza's strike. Everything remained silent for a moment. Then his giant sword shattered. Sprinkling team seven with fragments of sharp metal.

"You little bitch!"

Sakura looked up at him and looked straight into his eyes.

"You attacked my team. Do not do it again. Release."

Zabuza's clone disappeared in a splash of water. Sakura stood up and let the tip of her katana settle in the dirt. She leaned down and helped Naruto to his feet and held out her hand for Sasuke. He shook her off and got up on his own as she shrugged. Then she glared at the real Zabuza.

"No, you don't know who you're messing with."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kakashi watched incredulously from his spherical prison. She had materialized a sword from nowhere and then blocked a stronger strike from a position that provided her with a very big disadvantage, and she had managed to shatter the clone's sword. Then she had released the clone with a single word. What was up with this kid? She was like an unstoppable force! When she planted the tip of her katana in the ground he had the opportunity to take a closer look at it. It was gold with a red-tinted black hilt. _'That sword!' _He touched his cheek where the scratch had strangely not fully healed yet.

"Where did you find that brat Kakashi? What a tool she could be."

"She is not a tool, she is a person."

"No, she isn't."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Someone needs to protect Tazuna from sneak attacks."

"You can Sakura-chan! Teme and I'll take care of him!"

"No I think Sasuke should protect him."

Sasuke glared at her before answering.

"No, your weak you should stay behind."

"Sasuke this isn't about who's weaker and who's stronger. I think you should protect him because your head hit the ground very hard when he threw you down; you're probably still reeling from it. And if another stronger enemy comes along you are ready to attack. Gato obviously wants this guy dead so there is a huge possibility that there will be another ninja coming. Then we will need your abilities at their full potential. Plus if he gets past us you have a better chance of stopping him on your own than either of us."

Sasuke looked less angry by the time she finished her statement. She had put in so many complements that he didn't even seem to notice that she had contradicted herself. He turned and walked back to Tazuna without any further argument.

"Come on Naruto, let's go free our idiot Sensei."


	5. Chapter 5

_Recap_

"_No, your weak you should stay behind."_

_"Sasuke this isn't about who's weaker and who's stronger. I think you should protect him because your head hit the ground very hard when he threw you down; you're probably still reeling from it. And if another stronger enemy comes along you are ready to attack. Gato obviously wants this guy dead so there is a huge possibility that there will be another ninja coming. Then we will need your abilities at their full potential. Plus if he gets past us you have a better chance of stopping him on your own than either of us."_

_Sasuke looked less angry by the time she finished her statement. She had put in so many complements that he didn't even seem to notice that she had contradicted herself. He turned and walked back to Tazuna without any further argument._

_"Come on Naruto, let's go free our idiot Sensei."_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Now that his clone was gone Zabuza was a bit uncomfortable. The pink haired child was so unassuming. When he had first seen her he had thought she had been the weak link of her team. How wrong he'd been. She was possibly stronger even than Haku.

She came toward him with her golden sword ready to slice him to ribbons. Her eyes were a hard cold emptiness, like she wasn't even fully in the fight. It confused him. She was a mystery, one he had never come across. She held herself as if she didn't care one way or another, what happened. But when her teammates had been in mortal danger she had moved to intercept the final blow. She was a contradiction.

"Stop it."

Zabuza blinked at her. While he was contemplating her she had come very close to him. She stood on top of the water ten feet away from him. The blonde boy was behind her on the muddy bank.

"I will not fight an enemy who is not paying attention."

"You have my attention child. You would do well to leave your foolish village. They will never accept you as you are. They will hold you down and destroy you. If you come with me I will make you invincible. You will never have to do what others tell you unless you want to."

Her emerald eyes narrowed.

"Except your orders of course."

Zabuza remained silent. Kakashi from his prison was stunned; Zabuza was trying to take his student. He was trying to get her to leave Konoha. And what was worse was that even if she stayed with Konoha a seed would be planted in her mind. Would she start to feel that Konoha was indeed holding her back? He would have to keep an even closer eye on her now.

"No Mamochi-san I will not go with you."

"Shame. Soon you will realize what I've told you. Soon you will understand that no ninja can be truly a ninja when they are tied down by a village. Villages never want people or ninja, they want weapons and tools. You don't seem like the type who would be willing to conform to the point of no individual identity. What do you think Anbu is? They are the ones that have fully conformed. Why do you think they no longer have names? You are not meant for that, child."

Sakura shifted her grip on her sword and held it lowered to the side. Naruto stood behind her silently. He didn't want to hear what was being said but he couldn't stop. It echoed in his head. Was that what his beloved village really did? Was that the point of it all? To lose your identity to the village?

"How do you know? How do you know I don't want to conform? To disappear into the ranks and be forgotten? This could be the very thing that I wish."

Zabuza didn't look convinced.

"Because of the look in your eyes. They tell a different story than you do."

"Hmm. And I thought I had managed to hide so well. Defiantly something I'll have to work on in the future. Now then, I'm going to fight you, free my sensei and then let him kill you. Stop talking and start fighting."

"You wouldn't care if I died? Not even a little?"

"Not even a little. You don't matter to me, not even when you so graciously try to tell me the truths of my village. I already know several truths that were painful when I first came to know them. But I have become stronger because of them and now I just don't care. Do my eyes tell you that as well?"

"Such a heartless child."

Without blinking she threw five shuriken at his head. He just laughed as he dodged them. Five more shuriken he had not expected, hit his arm at the same time as a single kunai hit him just above his heart.

"And soon you will be just as heartless as you claim I am."

She charged at him with her katana at the ready. He blocked with his sword but it was made difficult by the five shuriken lodged it his arm. He couldn't remove them because his hand had to stay in the water prison to keep a still fuming Kakashi imprisoned. Sakura feinted left and lightning fast she impaled his right shoulder. She switched her grip on the hilt and twisted the sword, enlarging the wound and putting Zabuza in agonizing pain. She leaned toward him and whispered so only Zabuza could hear.

"This wound is for making Naruto doubt his beloved village. He has a very important dream that is the only thing keeping him happy. If you have harmed that dream in any way I will kill you."

Sakura ripped the sword from his shoulder and the force of it pulled Zabuza's hand from the water prison.

"Why not kill me now? You've shown that there is a good probability that you could."

"Because your friend in the trees would most likely kill me from behind the second I tried. And because my sensei would rather have a word with you."

She jumped back and stood silently on top of the water. Blood dripped off the tip of her sword, leaving red streaks racing down with the current of the river.

Naruto still stood silently on the bank. Still thinking on what Zabuza had said.

"Naruto."

The blonde looked over at Sakura, dazed by his own thoughts.

"Naruto he said those things to confuse us. You must now chose what to believe in. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Only what you chose to believe matters."

"Sakura-chan…"

He looked down at the dirt under his sandals and thought about everything he had ever known about his village. Sarutobi smoking his pipe popped into his mind. Naruto's head shot up, he was grinning from ear to ear.

"It doesn't matter what truths there are now. When I'm Hokage I'll make everything better! Believe it!"

**'What a foolish child.'**

_'He doesn't understand the world so he is allowed to be foolish.'_

**'You will do well not to get attached. When these people find out who I am they will act just like your parents did.'**

_'…'_

**'You are becoming soft! Do I have to remind you how you felt when **_**it**_** happened? Do I have to remind you why you are how you are?'**

_'No.'_

**'You will not be hurt again while I'm here. All you need is me.'**

_'Yes, all I'll ever need is you.'_

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Kakashi looked down on the immobilized Zabuza. His sharingan was swirling rapidly. His grey-black eye was full of a fiery rage.

"How dare you try and steal my student. Any extra pain you feel in death is punishment."

Zabuza smirked up at him.

"Don't be ridiculous Kakashi, no matter how attached you are to your little student it is her choice what she will do. And I think you will lose her."

Kakashi felt like he could almost growl. He pulled out a kunai and smirked, as Zabuza's eyes narrowed.

"It is a good thing your opinion doesn't matter. You are going to die."

Two senbon imbedded themselves in the Mist nin's neck with a sick thud. A young boy with long brown hair and a hunter nin mask dropped down from the trees.

"Thank you for distracting him while I moved in. I apologize for not notifying you before hand that I was here."

"It is no problem, however…"

Kakashi and the hunter turned to face Sakura. She still held the golden katana by her side.

"However?" The hunter spoke in a soft girlish voice.

Sakura lifted her katana and plunged it into the dead man's sword arm shoulder. The body didn't flinch in the slightest. The hunter didn't react. Kakashi looked down at his student questioningly but she was too busy watching the hunter nin to notice. _'What are you thinking Sakura?' _ Sakura lifted the sword from his flesh and let the tip of her sword tip rest on Zabuza's neck.

"I am chronically suspicious. It is an unfortunate condition."

The hunter nin bowed but kept his head uplifted enough to keep his eyes fully on her.

"It is not an unfortunate condition for a ninja. It is in fact a godsend to be naturally suspicious. It can save your life to question everything."

Sakura tilted her head forward and her katana dissolved. She spun on her heel and began to walk away.

"I know all I need to now. Good day to you hunter."

The hunter bowed again and knelt to pick up the body. With a single hand sign he vanished in a rush of wind and leaves.

……………………………………………………………………………………………....


	6. Chapter 6

_Recap_

_Sakura tilted her head forward and her katana dissolved. She spun on her heel and began to walk away._

_"I know all I need to now. Good day to you hunter."_

_The hunter bowed again and knelt to pick up the body. With a single hand sign he vanished in a rush of wind and leaves. _

……………………………………………………………………………………………....

Kakashi opened his bleary eyes to a white room with white walls and a small window open to salty sea air and white clouds. He sat up slowly and held a hand to his face in an attempt to stop his spinning head. The door opened with a bang as his most rambunctious student burst through.

"Kakashi-sensei! Are you feeling better?! When you collapsed we were all so worried!"

The rest of his squad slowly filtered through the open door. Sasuke looked slightly angry about something while Sakura looked half asleep. The three of them sat in a half circle around the end of his bed.

"You all did well, given the circumstances."

"Hurray! We did good! Did you hear that Sakura-chan? We did good!"

Naruto grabbed Sakura's shoulder and started to shake her in his excitement. Without even looking up Sasuke put his hand on her other shoulder and tugged with enough force to pull her out of Naruto's grasp.

"Don't do that Dobe."

"What did you call me Teme?!"

"You heard me Loser."

"Bastard!"

"Shut up."

The boys silenced immediately and looked away from each other with their arms crossed. Kakashi watched in quiet awe as the female of the team averted what could have been a full on brawl.

"Sasuke, thank you for helping me. Naruto, I'm glad you're happy. Sensei, I doubt our opponent is dead."

"Very good Sakura. Tell me, why do you think so?"

"Well first off he was injured by senbon. Even if you hit the right spot with them there is still a chance that the person you hit will still be alive. Or in a death-like state. Plus the supposed hunter nin did not immediately start destroying the body like they are supposed to, instead he took the body out of our view. And… I am chronically suspicious."

Something clicked in Kakashi's mind.

_Flashback_

_Sakura lifted her katana and plunged it into the dead man's sword arm shoulder. The body didn't flinch in the slightest. The hunter didn't react. Kakashi looked down at his student questioningly but she was too busy watching the hunter nin to notice. 'What are you thinking Sakura?' Sakura lifted the sword from his flesh and let the tip of her sword tip rest on Zabuza's neck._

_"I am chronically suspicious. It is an unfortunate condition."_

_The hunter nin bowed but kept his head uplifted enough to keep his eyes fully on her._

_"It is not an unfortunate condition for a ninja. It is in fact a godsend to be naturally suspicious. It can save your life to question everything."_

_Sakura tilted her head forward and her katana dissolved. She spun on her heel and began to walk away._

_"I know all I need to now. Good day to you hunter."_

His black eye narrowed. If she knew from the senbon then what was the point of stabbing Zabuza?

"Then why did you stab him at the end?"

She turned her emerald eyes to Sasuke's coal colored ones. While his were questioning with an underlying feeling of envy, her eyes were empty and slightly cold, like ice melting in the sun.

"Because now it will take a while for him to come back. With both of his shoulders injured he is basically useless. Now there is enough time to finish the bridge. And because if he does come back before the bridge is finished it will be much easier to kill him and his friend."

"Why didn't you just kill him then?"

"Because I couldn't. If I had attempted to kill him then that hunter nin would have used the opening in my stance to kill me. There is no way I could have killed either of them alone."

"Well then. Since Sakura so graciously gave us time, I think we should use it productively. I will teach you how to better manage your chakra." ……………………………………………………………………………………………....

The bridge was quiet. The fog shrouded the moon and the night sky in a wet blanket. Sakura milled about at the end of the bridge. It was about a day and a half of work before it would be completely finished. She sat down with her legs dangling off the edge.

**'You did well to stab the Mist nin. You can now finish the mission without further delay or chance of failure.'**

_'Yes. But something is wrong here. There is something I am missing that is important.'_

**'Whatever it is it will soon come to light.'**

_'You know what I am forgetting? Why would you not tell me?!'_

Sakura felt a strange tug deep in her stomach. She blinked and found her self in the world of Phoenix. The black fabric of the golden-haired woman's sash wrapped tightly around Sakura's body. Phoenix looked down angrily at her. The black stone that made her necklace trembled slightly and the shadows inside writhed in the like of pain.

**'Do not question me child! I will tell you what I deem necessary!'**

_'Stop it! You're hurting me! Phoenix stop! Please!!'_

Tears welled up in her green eyes. The fabric that trapped her dropped and withdrew. Phoenix floated down to Sakura's eye level. Her deep eyes full of sadness.

**'Sakura I-'**

A searing pain ripped through her chest and she was ripped from her inner mind. ……………………………………………………………………………………………....

Sasuke sat down at the dinner table with unease. There had been a nagging feeling in the back of his mind ever since that morning. He had been training extremely hard to try and get it out of his mind. Unfortunately nothing had worked. And now here he sat, wondering what was going on to bother him so much. Not to mention where the hell was Sakura?Apparently Naruto had noticed as well.

"Sensei? Where is Sakura-chan?!"

"I don't know Naruto, maybe she is out training still."

"Why would she need to train? She didn't even have to try to climb the tree!"

"Maybe she wants to get stronger."

Naruto looked like he had been hit by lightning. He jumped up and raced to the door.

"I'm going to get stronger too! Don't wait up for me Sensei!"

Kakashi just sighed and continued to read his book. Sasuke took a bite of his dinner before standing up. The jounin didn't even look up from his book as Sasuke opened the door. But just as he stepped through the threshold the older man let slip a small tid bit of information.

"I heard her mumble something about the bridge. Oh and make sure you two don't get into trouble."

"Hn."

……………………………………………………………………………………………....

The bridge was quiet and shrouded in fog. It was eerie and Sasuke didn't like it. His footsteps were muffled to almost complete silence as he walked toward the unfinished end. For some strange reason he was thankful for the silence. Dark shapes loomed out of the fog. Three men and a shape at their feet. He could just barely hear them speaking.

"Stupid brat…Didn't even see you coming…kill…destroy bridge…"

The fog broke enough for some of the moonlight to fall on the conspiring men. A burning rage flowed through Sasuke's veins. Sakura had been attacked and defeated. One of the men kicked her unconscious body. A burning twisting feeling began to build behind his eyes. He charged forward with a kunai in each hand.

The two men snapped their katanas out of their sheaths and blocked his attacks. The short bearded man behind them sneered.

"Another brat? Dispatch him and begin burning the bridge."

Sasuke ducked under a strike from the man on the left and kicked the man on the right in the stomach. Quick as lightning he wrapped an arm around his teammates waist and jumped back a safe distance.

"Sakura wake up. I need your help here."

She didn't show any signs of waking. He set her down and charged the two men again. The man on the left blocked his kunai with a clang. Without a second in between he brought his sword around in a crescent strike. Sasuke brought up his other kunai to block but was stopped by the man on the right's overhead slash. The man on the left took advantage of the opening and sliced Sasuke's left side. Sasuke twisted and jumped up to get out of the way of the two men's punishing attacks. He threw his two kunai down at the men and began the hand signs for his fire flower jutsu. The two men were slow to dodge; both came away with small burns.

……………………………………………………………………………………………....

Sakura's eyes fluttered open. She placed a hand to the back of her neck. It was sticky with blood.

"Fuck that hurts."

The sounds of battle drew her attention away from her injuries. Sasuke was fighting the two samurai that had attacked her while she was distracted. That had been the piece of the puzzle she had been missing. The man who had hired Zabuza wouldn't wait for him to heal. Sasuke seemed to be doing okay but a bloody cut on his side was hindering his mobility.

Faint noises drew her eyes passed the fight. Through the fog she could make out more armed men making their way toward the man with the cane whom she assumed was Gato.

"Shit."

……………………………………………………………………………………………....


End file.
